Maria Barrios Calero and Ricardo Flores were arrested after a South Florida hotel worker alerted the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office that two minor girls were victims of sex trafficking. (Mugshots from PBSO, hotel image via Google Maps)
An alert South Florida hotel clerk helped bust a couple who were sex trafficking two young girls by setting them up for “dates” with adult men, according to the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office.
The PBSO dubbed the worker a hero.
“In a powerful example of community action, an observant hotel worker’s bravery led to the rescue of two minor females from commercial sex trafficking,” a Facebook post said. “The swift intervention of the hotel clerk, who noticed the young victims and alerted authorities, played a pivotal role in their rescue.”
Deputies were called to the Lago Motor Inn in Lake Worth Beach, Florida, around 8 a.m. Sunday for a suspicious incident involving a man, woman and two minors, according to a probable cause affidavit reviewed by Law&Crime. After taking the man and woman, later identified as Maria Barrios Calero and Ricardo Flores, into custody, the deputies spoke to the two girls. One of the them told deputies she was frightened of Barrios Calero whom she described as “vengeful.” The girl also said she was scared he may be deported back to her native Honduras, the affidavit said.
She said she met Barrios Calero and Flores at a bar about six months ago. Shortly after, Barrios Calero asked the girl if she wanted to go on a “car date” with a man at the bar. The man paid Barrios Calero $400 to be touched by the victim. While in the car, he exposed himself to the girl and touched himself, the affidavit said.
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On Aug. 5, the suspects asked the girls to send provocative pictures of themselves to post as advertisements on websites to attract clients, according to the affidavit. That night Barrios Calero and Flores took the girls to a bar and had them dance with adult man, the charging document said. Later, the girls were taken to a hotel where they were told to take a shower and that they would be having sex with other men, the affidavit said.
The hotel clerk went into the room and noticed both victims on the bed with Flores along with a condom.
“The witness stated he called police after observing how young the two females appeared to be and their demeanor. Consent to search the room was provided by the hotel clerk which resulted in locating the condom on top of the bed,” a press release said.
Barrios Calero was arrested on charges of three counts of human trafficking of a minor while Flores faces two counts of the same charge. They were taken to the jail without incident.
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